There were scenes in the winner’s enclosure on Dubai World Cup night more akin to those at Cheltenham when owner Michael Buckley and trainer Jamie Osborne combined to win the UAE Derby with a horse named after a 1930s Cary Grant movie.

It may have been the world’s richest race meeting, climaxing with a $10m feature, but for British visitors the stylish victory of Toast Of New York in the $2m Classic, with Jamie Spencer riding with tremendous vigour, was the highlight.

The tall, handsome colt drew clear to win by two-and-a-half lengths to put himself on target for a crack at the Kentucky Derby in early May. He travelled beautifully just behind the pace all the way, and when called upon for his final effort strode clear on the Tapeta surface to win handsomely. He started at 11-1.

Buckley, who won the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival with Finian’s Rainbow, has owned jumpers for more than 30 years, but he was talked into buying the colt for Flat racing by Osborne, who before taking out a trainer’s licence was one of the best National Hunt jockeys of his era.

That irony was not lost on Buckley, who gave all credit to Osborne for his judgment in finding the colt and selling him on. Although upbeat about Toast Of New York’s chances, Osborne admitted: “In my wildest dreams, I didn’t expect him to win like that. It’s not impossible that he will go to the Kentucky Derby. We will think about it.” The best news of the night was that Richard Hughes escaped serious injury in a horrific fall from the ill-fated Mars in the Sheema Classic. Hughes, who is about to mount a defence of his British jockeys’ title, was thrown heavily when the four-year-old suffered a heart attack and crashed through the outside running rail, Hong Kong supplied two winners, Amber Sky in the Al Quoz Sprint, and Sterling City in the Golden Shaheen. Both were ridden by the brilliant Brazilian-born, Far East-based Joao Moreira.

Japan took the Duty Free with Just A Way, who annihilated his rivals, and the Sheema Classic with the Ryan Moore-ridden Gentildonna, while the Michael Halford-trained Certerach gave Ireland a 33-1 winner in the Dubai Gold Cup.

Saeed bin Suroor sent out his sixth winner of the $10m Dubai World Cup when African Story, ridden by Silvestre De Sousa, beat Mukhadram and Cat O’Mountain. Ruler Of The World, last year’s Derby winner, finished 13th, after appearing to have every chance.